Jeremiah 20; Jeremiah 21; 2 Timothy 4

1 Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and chief officer in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.

2 So Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate in the Lord's temple.

3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, "The Lord does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib,

4 for this is what the Lord says, 'I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword.

5 I will give away all the wealth of this city, all its products and valuables. Indeed, I will hand all the treasures of the kings of Judah over to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon.

6 As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. There you will die, and there you will be buried, you and all your friends that you prophesied falsely to.' "

7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me.

8 For whenever I speak, I cry out- I proclaim: Violence and destruction! because the word of the Lord has become for me constant disgrace and derision.

9 If I say: I won't mention Him or speak any longer in His name, His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

10 For I have heard the gossip of the multitudes, "Terror is on every side! Report [him]; let's report him!" Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. "Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him."

11 But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed, an everlasting humiliation that will never be forgotten.

12 Lord of Hosts, testing the righteous and seeing the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance on them, for I have presented my case to You.

13 Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord, for He rescues the life of the needy from the hand of evil people.

14 Cursed be the day on which I was born. The day my mother bore me- let it never be blessed.

15 Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying, "A male child is born to you," bringing him great joy.

16 Let that man be like the cities the Lord overthrew without compassion. Let him hear an outcry in the morning and a war cry at noontime

17 because he didn't kill me in the womb so that my mother might have been my grave, her womb eternally pregnant.

18 Why did I come out of the womb to see [only] struggle and sorrow, to end my life in shame?

1 [This is] the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur son of Malchijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah to Jeremiah, asking,

2 "Ask the Lord on our behalf, since Nebuchadnezzarking of Babylon is making war against us. Perhaps the Lord will perform for us something like all His [past] wonderful works so that [Nebuchadnezzar] will withdraw from us."

3 But Jeremiah answered, "This is what you are to say to Zedekiah:

4 'This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I will repel the weapons of war in your hands, those you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall, and I will bring them into the center of this city.

5 I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, with anger, rage, and great wrath.

6 I will strike the residents of this city, both man and beast. They will die in a great plague.

7 Afterwards'"-[this is] the Lord's declaration-"'King Zedekiah of Judah, his officers, and the people-those in this city who survive the plague, the sword, and the famine-I will hand over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, to their enemies, yes, to those who want to take their lives. He will put them to the sword; he won't spare them or show pity or compassion.'

8 "But you must say to this people, 'This is what the Lord says: Look, I am presenting to you the way of life and the way of death.

9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine, and plague, but whoever goes out and surrenders to the Chaldeans who are besieging you will live and will retain his life like the spoils [of war].

10 For I have turned against this city to [bring] disaster and not good""-[this is] the Lord's declaration. "'It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will burn it down.'

11 "And to the house of the king of Judah [say this]: 'Hear the word of the Lord!

12 House of David, this is what the Lord says: Administer justice every morning, and rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor, or My anger will flare up like fire and burn unquenchably because of their evil deeds.

13 Beware! I am against you, you who sit above the valley, [you atop] the rocky plateau- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration- you who say: Who can come down against us? Who can enter our hiding places?

14 I will punish you according to what you have done- [this is]*The bracketed text has been added for clarity. the Lord's declaration. I will kindle a fire in its forest that will consume everything around it.' "

1 Before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom, I solemnly charge you:

2 proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

3 For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.

4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.

5 But as for you, keep a clear head about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8 In the future, there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.

9 Make every effort to come to me soon,

10 for Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry.

12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

13 When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works.

15 Watch out for him yourself, because he strongly opposed our words.

16 At my first defense, no one came to my assistance, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me, and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.

18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.

20 Erastus has remained at Corinth; Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.

21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as do Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you!